international
Sacred ceremony in Beirut marked by Hezbollah 'resistance' and mourning
Key takeaways
- For the militant group Hezbollah, the Ashura procession was a chance to rally its supporters as the movement faces pressure to surrender its weapons.
- Residents say the turnout in Beirut was likely bolstered by many displaced people from southern Lebanon.
- Dressed in black, mourners waved Hezbollah and Iranian flags in the biggest gathering organised by the pro-Iran group, considered a terrorist organisation under Australian law, since the outbreak of the war in March.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
For the militant group Hezbollah, the Ashura procession was a chance to rally its supporters as the movement faces pressure to surrender its weapons. (ABC News: Cherine Yazbeck)
Link copied Share Share article Beirut's southern suburbs were blanketed in black as tens of thousands of people gathered to mark the largest Ashura procession in the Lebanese capital in years, after months of deadly bombardment by Israel.
A sacred day of mourning for Shiite Muslims, the ceremony was also a display of Hezbollah's force, as the Iranian-backed militant group sought to demonstrate its influence in Lebanon despite mounting pressure for it to disarm.
Article preview — originally published by ABC Australia. Full story at the source.
Read full story on ABC Australia →
More top stories
Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from ABC Australia alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place.
Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop